Book of Changes
by Jougetsu
Summary: Watanuki receives an unsolicited I-Ching reading from Yuuko and Mokona. Needless to say, he’s not crazy about the results.


**Fandom:** Xxxholic

**Title: **Book of Changes

**Author: **Jougetsu

**30 Romances Theme(s): **#13 Heads or tails, you lose; Dice; Ace & #27 Love, hate and the like; emotions

**Pairing: **Implied Doumeki Watanuki

**Rating: **PG

**Disclaimer: **Characters owned by Clamp and their associated publishers.

**Summary:** Watanuki receives an unsolicited I-Ching reading from Yuuko and Mokona. Needless to say, he's not crazy about the results.

"Here, take them," Watanuki handed the small bundle over to his boss before heading into the kitchen. He had been more or less accosted by what he thought was an ardent schoolboy, who begged him to take a package to his mistress. Now he was certain that the boy was either a spirit, or even medium.

"Aren't you the least bit curious as to what's in the package, Watanuki-dear?" Yuuko asked while inspecting the red-cloth covered bundle.

"Not at all!" he called from the kitchen.

"Mokona wants to know!"

The small familiar hopped over the couch and up onto the witch's lap.

"They just happen to be yarrow stalks."

"For I-Ching? Mokona loves hexagrams!"

"Exactly! They're intended for a particular divination practitioner though."

"So we can't use them?"

"No, but we can use some lucky coins for our own divination."

"I thought," began Watanuki as he brought sake over to the pair. "That you didn't do fortune-telling."

"Well it's certainly not my specialty and I cannot divine for myself. However, Watanuki's been so many changes lately, it might be good to see what the universe has in store."

He bristled a bit at the implications; the seer didn't like to be reminded that he was now in possession of half of Doumeki's eye and quite a bit of his blood. Watanuki hoped that the universe would quietly ignore him and let Yuuko grant his wish without any more complications.

"It's going to cost me, isn't it?"

"Just a trifle," Yuuko laughed. "The celadon in the back room hasn't been cleaned lately."

"That's it?"

"Come to think of it, that does put one in the mood for kimchi."

"Kimchi! Kimchi!"

"Fine, let's just get this over with."

Grinning, the witch untied the red string holding the coins together while Mokona smoothed out the red tablecloth (which Watanuki now realized had the traditional Ba Gua pattern emblazoned on it). Mokona announced the lines as Yuuko deftly cast the coins six times in rapid succession.

"Old yin!"

"Old yin!"

"Old yang!"

"Old yin again!"

"Young yang!"

"Old yang!"

"Changes in everything but the inner center," Yuuko mused. "Strange but perhaps dear Watanuki's inner center has already changed profoundly."

"So the primary hexagram is fifty-four and the relating one is fifty-seven?" piped up Mokona.

Watanuki stared blankly at the all-too-amused pair.

"Hexagram fifty-four, also known as the Maiden-Going-Off-To-Marry," chuckled the witch.

A blush began to creep up Watanuki's neck and warm his cheeks. Did humiliation count as a price in the shop? Because he had paid more than his fair share and then some.

"And hexagram fifty-seven, Gentle Penetration! How appropriate!" Mokona cried.

Now bright red, Watanuki was simply annoyed, "The two of you are mocking me!"

"Not at all Marrying Maiden," Yuuko drawled bemusedly. "They're quite relevant to your situation."

"Don't call me that!" He swatted at Mokona who had taken flowers from a vase and began humming a wedding march.

"Traditionally, it is believed that a maiden who is to marry ought not to venture to her husband's home alone," Yuuko began in a more serious tone. "Such a venture will only bring difficulty and misfortune, which is what the hexagram represents. The maiden, or querent, cannot continue on their journey alone if they hope for success."

"They need to be assisted by others or wait for their new husband to bring them home safely!" chirped Mokona. "Maybe Doumeki will finally come to claim his bride!"

"That, that bastard is not my husband!" the youth snapped angrily.

"That is the basic idea of the hexagram," the witch interrupted smoothly. "That one must not continue solo, but rather stay in place until help arrives. The help is generally in the form of aid from family and close friends, or a group you wish to become closer to."

He definitely wasn't alone anymore, not with Yuuko and Himawari and his spirit friends and even that jerk Doumeki. They were all helping him or cheering him on.

"Which brings us to your related hexagram…"

"Gentle Penetration!"

"Will you stop saying that already?! It sounds so obscene!"

"But Watanuki is just the type to enjoy receiving gentleness!"

He was going to KILL that talking pork bun.

"Ohoho, he does seem like the type doesn't he?" agreed his employer. "Sadly that is not the divinatory meaning of the hexagram."

"Then what does it mean?" he gritted his teeth.

"Also known as the Gentle Penetrating Wind, hexagram fifty-seven is about how small subtle thoughts and deeds permeate one's life. Seemingly insignificant actions will color your life and shape your future."

The destruction of a spider web, a gift to a young kitsune, kindness to mother; all those things had been ripples in pond he'd been to blind to see.

"What do you think of that, Watanuki?"

"I think," he said standing up, "I should get started on the kimchi."

"Don't you want to meditate on their profound wisdom?" Mokona cried, in a tone Watanuki suspected was half mock horror and half seriousness.

"Not at all, I have a meal to prepare."

Yuuko watched him retreat towards the kitchen, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Watanuki hasn't learned anything from the oracle!" bemoaned Mokona. "And Yuuko was so kind to divine for him!"

"New events have already been put into motion," the witch said, patting the familiar's head affectionately. "The first line of change was 'realization.' Now that he has been forced to realize the truth of his situation, a different set of circumstances has begun to unfold."

"Mokona still thinks Doumeki is his husband!"

"He certainly has acted the part of the dutiful groom so far, hasn't he? Still maybe we should keep that our little secret and let Watanuki discover that for himself."

"Mokona loves secrets!"

"Then let's toast our new secret accordingly," she laughed and then raised her voice. "Watanuki, don't forget soju to go with our Kimchi!"

"Haven't you two had enough alcohol for one day?" the boy called back.

"Never!"

END

**Author's Notes:**

**Celadon**

A famous kind of ceramic-ware from East Asia, some of the best known examples are Korean Koryo (Goryeo) Celadon.

**Kimchi**

Thinking of Korean ceramics, Yuuko and Mokona started hankering for one of the most famous Korean dishes of all- kimchi! Specific Kimchi ingredients vary widely by region, but it is at heart a fermented dish consisting of various vegetables and seasoning.

**I-Ching – "The Book of Changes" **

One of the ancient Chinese "Classics," a text that is best known for its divinatory aspect.

The most popular ways for divining with the I Ching involve using yarrow stalks (traditional) or coins. Here Yuuko used the one of the most common forms of the coin divination known as the "three coin method." The number of heads and tails of each toss are counted to determine the line statement (old ying, young yang, et cetera).

**Soju **

A famous Korean alcohol (distilled spirit) that has gained great popularity in Japan. Originally made from rice, there are also variations that use sweet potato, wheat, and other starches for their base.


End file.
